Technique for preventing the thermal insulating foam falling off the space shuttle and its external tank (ET)

Abstract

The invention as disclosed herein is a technique for preventing the thermal insulating foam from peeling off from the space shuttle and its external tank (ET) possessing the following characteristics: a high intensity protective net shield designed for the space shuttle or/and the ET, which is made of the high-temperature and high intensity ropes, is installed as one of the following designs: A. Install the protective net shield directly on the out side of the thermal insulating foam of the space shuttle and its ET by covering the thermal insulating foam while the mesh area of the protective net shield is smaller than the area of the single thermal insulating foam chunk so that it would prevent the thermal insulating foam chunks falling out from the mesh, and fix the mesh knots onto corresponding thermal insulating foam chunks; B. Between joint lines of two adjacent polygon thermal insulating foam chunks of the space shuttle and its ET, respectively bind two thermal insulating foam chunks together with a rope through the meshes, and the binding ropes creates at least one binding loop at each joint line; then connect all binding loops of each joint lines of each corresponding thermal insulating foam chunk into a protective loop by the ropes. Connect each protective loop via each binding loop as mesh knots, and thereby form the protective net shield. This invention is practical and easy to operate, which will effectively prevent the thermal insulating foam from peeling off and resolve the safety problem resulted from the peeling off of the thermal insulating foam from the space shuttle and its ET.

1 . The invention as disclosed herein is a technique for preventing the thermal insulating foam from peeling off from the space shuttle and its external tank (ET) possessing the following characteristics: a high intensity protective net shield designed for the space shuttle or/and the ET, which is made of the high-temperature and high intensity ropes, is installed as one of the following designs:
 A. Install the protective net shield directly on the out side of the thermal insulating foam of the space shuttle and its ET by covering the thermal insulating foam while the mesh area of the protective net shield is smaller than the area of the single chunk of heat-insulating-coating foam so that it would prevent the thermal insulating foam chunks falling out from the mesh, and fix the mesh knots onto corresponding thermal insulating foam chunks;   B. Between joint lines of two adjacent polygon thermal insulating foam chunks of the space shuttle and its ET, respectively bind two thermal insulating foam chunks together with a rope through the meshes, and the binding ropes creates at least one binding loop at each joint line; then connect all binding loops of each joint lines of each corresponding thermal insulating foam chunk into a protective loop by the ropes. Connect each protective loop via each binding loop as mesh knots, and thereby form the protective net shield.   
   
   
       2 . Pursuant to the description of  claim 1 , such design possesses the following characteristics: each joint line on each polygon thermal insulating foam chunk has holes for binding purpose which are designed in a vertical way or a sloping way, and two adjacent thermal insulating foam chunks are bound together with ropes through corresponding vertical holes or sloping holes. 
   
   
       3 . Pursuant to the description in  claim 1 , such design possesses the following characteristics: such protective net shield is in the shape of flake or barrel, and is fixed by hooking its edge on the skin of the space shuttle and its ET.